Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) networks are rapidly evolving to support a variety of telecommunications services in addition to traditional broadcast type video services. In particular, HFC networks are being utilized for data services, including high speed Internet access. Cable network operators are expected to be providing medium to high penetration rate telephony services in the near future.
In an HFC network, telecommunications services such as telephone services can be provided through the use of a unit located at the side of the home or in a centralized location in the residence (or business). This unit, which forms the interface between the HFC network and the telephony Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) can be referred to as a Media Terminal Adaptor (MTA). The MTA contains line cards that provide an interface between the HFC network and traditional telephones. This may be accomplished through the use of a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) card located in the MTA. The MTA can also be in communication with other CPE including PCs and set-top boxes. The MTA transmits and receives signals over the HFC network using a known protocol, for example the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS), which uses a Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP) as the signaling protocol for telephony applications. Another protocol that has been defined to deliver Internet Protocol services of the HFC network is the PacketCable specification, which employs DOCSIS as its underlying platform.
The utilization of such an MTA unit allows the simultaneous delivery of voice, data and video services to the same subscriber. A cable modem (CM) serves as the device interface between the MTA and the HFC network. Under DOCSIS, the MTA and CM may be identified by a single pair of IP and media access control (MAC) addresses for purposes of monitoring and maintenance. The PacketCable standard, on the hand, requires that the CM and MTA each have its own pair of IP and MAC addresses. In order to accomplish this, each MTA must be associated with one of the CMs in the network. Accordingly, given the identity of a CM in the network, it is necessary to provide a method for identifying its associated MTA by finding its IP and MAC addresses.